Lessons in patriotism
Spearheaded by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the recent education reforms to strengthen patriotic education in Japanese schools have caused much controversy both at home and abroad.
Alarmed by the loosening morals among Japanese youth, Mr Abe declared that the goal of the education overhaul was to nurture students' 'respect for the nation's tradition and culture' and foster their 'love for the nation and homeland that cultivated them'.
Last year, the Japanese parliament passed changes to the nation's 1947 Fundamental Law of Education, which was drafted by the Allied powers to curb the revival of Japanese militarism after the second world war.
Stressing 'love of country', 'tradition' and 'public spirit', the new education law is the latest in a series of attempts by right-wing politicians to indoctrinate young people with patriotic ideals.
In 1999, the parliament reinstated two notorious symbols of Japanese ultra-nationalism: the national flag 'Hinomaru' (Rising Sun) and the national anthem Kimigayo (the emperor's reign).
The Tokyo education board issued a notice in 2003 which suggested that teachers would be punished if they refused to stand and sing the national anthem in front of the Japanese flag during entrance and graduation ceremonies at schools.
Over the past year, thousands of teachers were penalised for refusing to sing the national anthem or salute the national flag, with some losing their jobs for defying the government's orders.
Angry that the government is using them as tools to promote militarism, Japanese teachers think the amendments infringe on the students' right to think independently.
Liberal educators also voiced their strong disapproval when the government - under former primer minister Junichiro Koizumi - allowed the publication of several history textbooks which critics claimed whitewashed Japan's atrocities during the 1930s and 1940s.
Written by nationalist scholars, the textbooks glorify Japan's expansionist past and play down infamous historical incidents like the 1937 Nanjing massacre and the use of comfort women by Japanese soldiers.
Using biased history books to promote patriotism among youngsters has long been an accepted practice in Asia.
Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party led by President Chen Shui-bian - strong advocates of the island's independence from China - recently revised high-school history textbooks in an attempt to cut Taiwan's historical links with the mainland.
In the new version, Sun Yat-sen is no longer honoured as a nationalist hero. To further indoctrinate students with independent ideologies, Taiwan is not included as part of Chinese history and has a separate textbook.
While China accused Taiwan of rewriting history, the mainland is also not immune from criticism for promoting a warped view of history.
In mainland history textbooks, Communists are portrayed as heroes who toppled the corrupt Nationalist government and resisted Japanese aggression. Their misdeeds and policy blunders, like the Great Leap Forward in the late 1950s that caused widespread famine, are rarely mentioned.
Discussions about the role of Mao Zedong during the disastrous Cultural Revolution in the 1970s are also banned in schools. With biased textbooks widely used in Taiwan, China and Japan, it seems that the authorities tend to ignore the truth as they continue to promote patriotic education.
While there's nothing wrong with encouraging young people to love their motherland, the arbitrary way in which Asian governments carry out patriotic education is certain to raise objections in future.
Think about
1. Do you consider yourself a Hongkonger or Chinese?
2. Is it acceptable for governments to tamper with history textbooks to boost patriotism?
3. Do your history textbooks give an objective account of historical events?
4. How is patriotic education carried out in your school?
